Morning, In the Waking
by SunnyNite
Summary: Action, majority of the time speaks louder than words, but sometimes it's good to say what you mean.


**Title:** Morning, In the Waking

**Rating:** PG-15, fer half nekkid Sparky.

**Summary: **Action, majority of the time speaks louder than words, but sometimes it's good to say what you mean.

**Disclaimer:** My car is broke. I'm broke. This is kinda broke. So you'd get pretty much nothing if you sued. Now if you threw me into a pit of boiling lava you'd singe the fur chief and then I'd have to sue you. So let's call it even and just playing around so the space monkeys won'tl get hurt. Deal? Deal. Thank you PTBs for allowing fandom. We love you. :D :D :D :D

**Morning, In the Waking**

When he emerged from the bathroom, sunshine through the windows offered him a beautiful view: the warm morning light illuminating her bare back and long legs.

The bed shifted under his weight as he lingered above her. When on duty, protocal dictated that he maintain a sense of detachment, rarely giving him a moment for unadulterated observation. But here and now, in these quiet moments, he seized the chance to take in the curves of her body.

John was certain he had been in love several times before, but never had he been so carried away. She fascinated him, and it was a little more than he could wrap his head around. When he gave it some thought, he realised he was okay with that. He wouldn't mind taking a lifetime to figure her out. Besides that, there was still more of her that he wanted to experience and feel.

So he did.

Working a path from the small of her back and along her spine, he took his time to memorise the line and curve of her body. As she began to respond to his attentions, his exploration drew a path over her stomach.

Barely registering anything but his growing level of intoxication, the feel of her slim fingers weaving through his hair grounded him. Regaining his composure, he paused to listen to her steady heartbeat. Its unfaltering rhythm reassured him. He knew she held everything that made him feel alive in her hands. He also knew he could trust her not to destroy that.

"Are you trying to seduce me from sleep?" She asked groggily.

He grinned deviously at her.

"Nah," came out with a rasp. He cleared his throat. "I'm testing out a new method of wake-up call."

He continued his trek from where he had left off.

"I certainly hope this is a customised setting."

"Oh it is," he mumbled. Taking another pause, he rested his wandering mouth on her pulse.

Lately, she realized John seemed to have developed a fixation with her heartbeat. Whether he counted her heart rate or simply memorised the sound of it in her chest, at least once a day it became part of his affections. She was pretty sure it had something to do with him making certain she was alive and well in his world.

Elizabeth wondered if she should be more concerned about that. They were after all supposed to be having a casual relationship. But with the increasing passage of time in Pegasus it didn't feel that way. She was not his priority. He wasn't hers. But everyday it became less true. He got close without even trying. In the end, he became the calm she sought and the warmth she craved. At this moment, he was the attention she needed to remind her she was a woman.

"John?"

"Yeah," he lingered a little while longer counting out her pulsation.

"Morning breath."

He smiled into her neck. "I already brushed my teeth.

"But I haven't," she tersely replied.

"That's okay," he brought himself closer, if that was even possible. "I don't mind."

"I do."

"Yes ma'am," he conceded as he rolled off her. His compromise didn't stop him from following her into the bathroom.

"Did you need help with something, Colonel?" She queried him as she pulled her hair into a ponytail and turned toward the sink to begin brushing her teeth. Only she could pull off dignity in a barely dressed state.

"As a matter of fact, Doctor," he put his hands on her waist. "It seems that I lost a mission report I was working on a few seconds ago." Without skipping a beat, he resumed his earlier assault on the back of her neck and started toying with the hem of her underwear. "Never mind," he pulled her body flush against his. "Found it."

He was sufficiently distracting most of the time but this was taking it to a new level, not that she mined terribly. This was after all one of the more unconventional wake-up calls she had had in a long time. He gave the impression that he was satiated for the moment, allowing her time to finish by confining his ministrations to the area between her shoulder blades. The vibrations he caused in her at any given time were, more often than not, enough to last an eternity. On the other hand, if hurrying her along was his goal then he had succeeded.

Anticipating her shift, he backed off a little, giving her room to turn in his arms.

"Morning." He grinned roguishly.

"Good morning," she whispered into his mouth. It was her turn to tease but he didn't bite.

"I been thinking," he traced the outline of her arms.

"Uh-oh."

"It's good this time, I promise."

"Okay." She sat on the Ancient equivalent of a countertop.

He settled between her knees unexpectedly anxious. Was he actually about to say what he thought he should say?

"I think we should move in together."

"What?"

Yep, definitely didn't think that one all the way through; no more life altering propositions first thing in the morning. He hoped there wasn't too much scrambling involved in this conversation and that he had enough brain power to muddle his way through it.

"John..."

She didn't expect any type of forward movement in this relationship at this point in time. She just took it for what it was. Companionship. Now he was suggesting a big progressive motion.

After giving her a moment to let what he just said sink in, his nerves took over.

"Say it," he requested of her.

"Um, we haven't even gotten to the saying 'I love you' phase of this relationship and now you want us to cohabitate?"

"I do."

This was definitely going in her books as unconventional.

"John, I haven't lived with somebody else for close to five years now."

"I've never lived with anybody else my entire life. Well, bunking in basic, but that only lasted... I've scared you."

"No. Well, yeah kind of. We never really talk about this," she gestured between them.

"Yeah," he grimaced. "That's mostly my fault. I know I don't say what I should sometimes, like 'I didn't mean to keep you in the dark' or 'there's no place else I'd rather be' or 'I love you'. But you should know, I feel that, with all my heart."

She smiled. That was always good.

"This is the most unusual relationship I've ever been in. We completely forego the formal courtship to..." she was at a loss for words. "I can't even say what's going on."

Quiet laughter was conjured by her declaration.

"What?"

"The master of words has been defeated by the inarticulate," he smirked.

"But they've both reached the same conclusion."

"Good?"

"Good. At the very least we have an excuse to finish exploring the Southwest pier."

"Speaking of exploring..."

He started a languid kiss and simultaneously lifted her from settlement.

"Oh you are definitely trying to seduce me now," she murmured as he carried her off to bed.

**Fin**


End file.
